Just Living
by LibertyBell.047
Summary: What happens when the role of creator and creation are exchange? A short story about robots and humans relations.


AN: I wrote this for a contest of SF story in English class. It does not take place in the world of _Foundation_, but there are some references to Isaac Asimov's novel: _Foundation_ and _The Bicentennial Man_. This website dosen't have a classification by authors so I just put this story here.

Hope you'll like it.

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**Just Living**

A/2051 , better known by the nickname of Andrew was not happy. Ten minutes before, he was peacefully resting in his room while reinitializing his system when he received an e-call from his friend. His code was S/7100 , or Seldon but he thought that he should have been called "Universe greatest eccentric mechanical being" –and the most annoying-. He was a scientist, an archaeologist, a physician, a biologist all mixed and today he wanted to show his new creation to his friend. He seemed so ecstatic that Andrew just couldn't say no.  
This was the reason he was now waiting in a cold room, his circuits beginning to freeze as temperature reached -75°C. No, he was definitely not happy.

Finally, the damn inventor came in sight, his thin external iron skin changing colour due to excitement.

"Hey Andrew, glad you came!"

_"Like I had the choice" _He thought "Yeah now what is it?"

"Aha, impatient are you? Very well, I'm not going to keep suspense longer, this is the greatest invention I've ever made."

Saying the, he approached some kind of covered operation table and with a theatral gesture, he removed the metallic blanket, revealing his creation. At this moment, his voice sounded even more passionate.

"Wonderful isn't it? My true masterpiece! I just cannot find the words to describe it!"

"Err… disgusting?" Andrew managed to say, although at first he was so shocked that he almost cut out.

"Yeah that's it! It is, it's disgus…" The electrical sparkles of his skin faded. "Oh come on , why must you always set your emotional device on sarcastic mode? Whatever, I'm proud to present you my Highest Up-grade in Mechanical body and Automatic Neuro-system, or H.U.M.A.N."

The thing lying in front of Andrew had a humanoid form, but also strange features. When he touched it, he was surprised by the data his sensors sent him, it wasn't a material he knew.

"What's that?" he asked.

"This, my friend, is the material I've been working on since the day I was activated. It is skin, but made of living cells."

"Living?"

"Yeah, these micro organisms are auto-sufficient, able to develop by themselves and they can even mutate."

"Impressive" Andrew whispered. He observed the upper body, which seemed to be open, showing white sticks, marked as 'bones' and under, a sort of complex web of pipes and 'organs', mostly coloured in dark red. "You know, it reminds me our own organisation."

"Insightful as always. I planned to create it at our image, but this living thing is horribly delicate. I must even work on it at -75°C or otherwise it'll decompose. And I had to do some reductions.

"I can see that, only two legs and two arms. Quite simple."

"It's still a prototype. When finished, it should be able to walk, talk and accomplish other basic movements."

"I see… But, hold on. Don't tell me you put the decision-making centre in the same place as ours? In here?" He said, pointing the top of the body.

"Well, in fact I did. The capacity of the head is 1500 cm3."

"1500 cm3?! That's ridiculous, he won't even be able to stand up!"

"Hm no, I'm confident in my neurones. They're really complex and efficient, just take a look on the plans."

As Andrew scanned them, he realized something. "There are two models?"

"Exactly, two levels: Mechanical Android N°1: M.A.N and WOnderful Mechanical Android N°2: WO.M.A.N. If they work, I'm thinking of commercializing them, they'll be useful for minor tasks and simple jobs, after all I create them with an AI (artificial intelligence) system. And I foresee to improve their autonomy and self-decision control."

Still discussing, the two friends began to walk automatically to the exit, their internal alarm warning them from the lowering temperature.

"Aren't you afraid they could get to much power and independence will, if they have our type of intelligence?"

S/7100 began to laugh. "No way! That's impossible, I can control them. They're just living things, we can't be compared to them."

The laughs faded as they close back the heavy door of the room, leaving the human, half open in the freezing cold. His eyelid almost unnoticeably twitched, as neurones began to activate.

_Just_ living you said…


End file.
